OK, I know I've been bad. I haven't posted a beer in a loooong time. Here's the deal:

Every 2 months, just as we're finalizing the magazine, I get extremely busy. I'm not trying to make excuses, I still should have posted every day, but I failed.

I wanted to let you all know that I have been reviewing beers, despite the lack of posts. I just need to place them up here. I'll do that ASAP. For now, with distribution of the new issue foremost on my mind - not to mention updating this website a bit - I'll post 2-3 a day until I get caught up.

Here are a few from when I was out with my photographer for our beer bar article:

We started at Cafe Hollander, where I had 2 beers - Kwak and Goose Island Matilda.

Kwak

Poured a beautiful caramel color with a very thick off-white head. It came served in a special glass that, apparently, has something to do with a stage coach. I really don't know, but the glass was cool - a rounded, bulb-like bottom with a thin, long stein that opened into a tulip shape at the top and was served in a wooden handle. The aroma of the beer was of caramel malt with hints of toffee and very slight fruit tones. The taste was mostly caramel and butterscotch with a very subtle bitterness that rounded out the sweetness of the butterscotch. The finish was short, but enjoyable. Overall, this was a fantastic beer and is something I order almost every time I go to Hollander - which is often. As far as I know, Hollander is the only place in town that serves this (other than maybe Centraal, which shares the same ownership).

Matilda
Goose Island

Matilda is this Chicago-area based brewery's Belgian-style beer. It poured a caramel brown with a slightly reddish hue. It had a good sized, off-white head. The aroma was sweet, slightly acidic, and carried some banana and raspberry aromas coupled with sweet caramel tones. The taste was complex, with caramel, berry and banana taking the front seat. It finished with a campari-like herbal bitterness and tartness. I'd say this beer is not for the casual beer drinker due to its complexity, but if you're looking for something a little outside the normal, yet still traditional enough to fit into a style, this might be the beer for you. Nothing about this beer is outrageous or crazy like some Dogfish Head beers, for example, but it did take me outside my comfort zone with regards to what I expected from a Belgian style pale ale. Still, I'm glad they did. I enjoyed this beer, and, while it's not one of my favorites that I've reviewed thus far, is one a beer I'd likely have again and again when available.

Next we went to Palm Tavern, where I had a lambic style beer called Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus. For those not familiar, lambics are a style of beer that are "spontaneously fermented," meaning they leave the beer open to the environment where natural yeasts in the air ferment the brew. This isn't as unsanitary as it sounds and there is absolutely no chance of you getting sick from it - so don't worry.

What this "spontaneous fermentation" results in is, typically, a very tart, fruity taste. Some might say it is even sour. Regardless, it is complex, fruity, almost "fizzy" and unlike anything you've ever tasted before (unless you've had a lambic before).

Cantillon Rose de Gambtinus

This beer poured a brilliant red with a pink head comprised of tiny bubbles that dissipated almost immediately. The aroma was of acidic raspberry & strawberry puree. The taste was very tart sour in the front end, leaving a very dry mouthfeel. As the tartness dissipated, it left a brilliant, fruity, slightly bitter flavor that lasted several minutes. My overall impression of this beer was that it was very "wine-like" in body, but obviously a lambic style beer in taste and aroma. Unlike other lambics that I've had, this beer was not as intense in its acidity and tartness and it had more body and character that stood up well against that sourness. Its fuller body and long lasting fruit finish elevated this beer to the next level making it, by far, the most enjoyable lambic I've encountered. While this beer is not for everyone, if you're looking for a little adventure or something completely different, or if you're a lambic fan and looking for a great quality beer, give this one a try!

I had a few more beers that night, but I lost the notes on them somewhere - occupational hazard. Tomorrow, beer gods willing, I'll have 2-3 more from a few other sessions over the last 2 weeks and perhaps a few new ones from tonight!

Cheers, and thanks for sticking with me!

Days: 48
Beers: 25 - yikes!

Sorry for the late post today. It's getting down to the wire with the new issue and that's taking up most of my time lately. Actually this takes up most of my time everyday, but more than usual lately. So not too much to say today other than my thoughts on a pale ale I had yesterday called The Bitter End by Two Brothers Brewing Co out of Warrenville, IL. Here it is:

The Bitter End Pale Ale
Two Brothers Brewing Co.

This beer poured a beautiful cloudy, caramel brown with a small white head that diminished relatively quickly into an oily foam on top of the beer. The aroma was of earthy hops that had an acidic character to them - not so much that the aroma was actually acidic, but rather that I associate that aroma with beers with higher acidity. Beyond that, there was a mellow caramel aroma that could be detected. The taste was pretty close to what I imagined it would be from the aroma: sweet caramel malt flavor perfectly balanced by earthy hops with just a hint of acidity. The only real surprise was that the beer was far sweeter than I would have expected, but not so sweet as to be distracting. Rather, it was quite pleasant. The finish had a nice, not overly bitter taste that lasted - I guess hence the name. Overall, the beer was well balanced and very enjoyable. It was, simply put, a tasty beer, and one that I would have again.

Days: 25
Beers: 22

Alright folks, here's rundown of my weekend. Friday night I went to Rock Bottom Brewery for dinner with my wife. Every now and then we get an uncontrollable craving for their Bourbonzolla burgers - even though my wife is vegetarian (she can get it with a veggie patty). While we were there I though I'd catch up a beer by ordering both the 106 Pilsner, which is brewmaster Dave Bass' gold medal beer, and their Father Frost Baltic Porter. Below are my thoughts on them.

106 Pilsner
Rock Bottom Brewery, Milwaukee

This beer poured a very clear pale gold with a very thin but creamy white head. It had a clean, lightly hopped aroma. It also hinted at a bit of acidity. The taste was surprisingly malty sweet with notes of caramel that rounded into a light hoppy finish. I'll be perfectly honest here, when I think of a pilsner I think of a rather boring (to me), lightly flavored beer with not much character. This beer really surprised me in that way. It was unlike any pilsner I've had before. While it was light and crisp, as I expected from a pilsner, and was also without rich, bold flavors, it had great depth and character. The aftertaste was not long lived, but not short either and was slightly dry and bitter. This was a VERY drinkable beer.

Father Frost Baltic Porter
Rock Bottom Brewery, Milwaukee

Father Frost poured an opaque, deep black with virtually no head - just a ring of off-white/tan foam around the edge of the glass. The bouquet was faint (or at least it seemed that way in a busy restaurant), but had the classic roasted malt aroma I've come to expect from a dark beer like this - some coffee, some chocolate, etc. The flavor was very surprising. It reminded me of a bourbon aged beer with flavors of liquorish and smooth chocolate malt dominating. This is NOT, in any way, a beer for the casual or the timid. This is a sensual, indulgent beer with deep, rich flavors that last and last. This finish was sweet, slightly bitter and syrupy - like molasses. Get to Rock Bottom and try this beer before it is gone!

After Rock bottom Friday night, I had my typical lazy Saturday. We (wife and I) had breakfast at Capitol Cafe on Capitol Drive in Brookfield, then went to check out some kittens at a pet store. Before I had a chance to have a beer, however, a friend of mine asked if could swing by to avoid his wife's girls night (they were watching Twilight). I couldn't condemn a friend to that fate, so I told him to come on by. A few bottles of wine later and I forgot all about my beer blog. Sorry.

So yesterday, that's Sunday for those keeping track, I made it a point to drink one the new beers that will be in the magazine this issue - Hook & Ladder's Anniversary Ale.

Anniversary Ale
Hook & Ladder Brewing Co.

This bottled beer poured a nice copper color and had a very thick white head with large bubbles. The aroma was sweet and reminded me almost of cherry cola, with just a hint of hops. The taste was of sweet caramel malt and was well balanced by earthy, grassy hops that were not too bitter. The ale had a light body, but a creaminess beyond what I expected. It also had some nice fruit flavors, similar to a Belgian Double [I later found out that Hook & Ladder consider this a Belgian Double style beer, so yay me - I'm getting better at this!], and finished with just a touch of acidity. To me, this was an interesting mash-up of Belgian and American brewing styles. Whatever they did, it worked. It was an overall very pleasing beer.

So at the end of the weekend, while I didn't fall any further behind, I didn't catch up any either. I think I'm going to place a beer counter and day counter on each post from now on. I think that will help remind me of how many beers I need to drink to catch up! As of today:

Days: 24
Beers: 21 (not as bad as I thought!)

I was visiting a friend's bar, Sabbatic on 2nd Street one block north of National Ave, and was in the mood for a nice tap beer for this blog, so I ordered one of their several Milwaukee Brewing Co. taps they have and settled in for a pint. Sabbatic, if you haven't been there yet, is a punk/rock corner bar in Walker's point. What this friend of mine did with the bar is great. It looks beautiful, cozy and unpretentious. It's the kind of place where you can pound some shots and hammer some beers and the girls can, if they're into it, dance on the tables. Or you can settle in, shoot some pool and sip a tasty pint. You really must check it out if you haven't already. They are brand new and still building a customer base, so stop in, bring some friends, and tell them Brian sent you.

Vanilla Creme Stout
Milwaukee Brewing Co.

The beer poured (from tap) a dark-ish brown - unusual for the stouts I'm accustomed to - with a thin but creamy tan head, which was much more stout-like than the color. The aroma was of milk chocolate with hints of vanilla bean (I guess the beer was well named). The taste was just the same - creamy milk chocolate and vanilla bean, finishing with just a hint of light roast coffee. The brewers clearly opted to highlight the chocolate and vanilla flavors on this beer, underplaying the richer roasted flavors of coffee and liquorish. Overall, I was pleased with the beer - enough to have a second one (it was 2 for 1). Still, I prefer the richer stouts and, if given a choice between this beer and one with a more roasted flavor, 9 out 10 times I'd choose the latter. That's not to say I wouldn't still thoroughly enjoy the 1 out 10 times I have this one. For what it's worth.

Yesterday was a crazy day. The whole day had a dark cloud looming overhead, and I think that cloud came from the Pizza Man fire that destroyed 4 major North Ave businesses. I heard the news around 7:30 am as I was driving my wife to her day job (yes, we still have "real" jobs). I was out and about finalizing advertising and editorial for our upcoming issue most of the day, but first chance I got I made my way to North Ave to see the devastation for myself.

It wasn't until around 3:30 pm that I arrived on North Ave. I had to park several blocks away, on Farwell, and walk to North Ave because the whole area was shut down and roads were closed off. When I got there fire fighters were still hosing down the wreckage - a full 12 hours after the fire began. It was surreal.

Not really knowing what else to do, I stopped in to BBC for a burger and a beer. I guess this was as good a time as any to get my beer in for the day.

I asked the bartender for a recommendation and she pointed me towards Mad Hatter IPA, from New Holland Brewing Co. I'd never had it so I told her to bring it on.

Mad Hatter IPA
New Holland Brewing Co.

The beer poured an orange amber with a tight white head that lasted. The aroma was of intense spicy and "grassy" hops. I'd say it smelled like hay fever, but I wasn't much in the mood for humor. The taste was spicy and well hopped, but the first taste had a malty sweetness and was not overly bitter. As the beer settled into the taste buds the hops character came out more and more. Each sip was similar, with the front end malt ... balancing is not the right word here ... offsetting the hops bitterness and spiciness a little bit. I detected virtually no citrus tones. Rather, the beer opted for more earthy, grain like flavors. Overall, this beer was enjoyable and went especially well with my burger and fries. While it wasn't the best IPA I've had in my relatively limited experience thus far, I'd not hesitate to order it again.

P.S. - The firefighters were still putting out the fire, the smell of smoke still thick in the air, by the time I left BBC around 4 pm. Our thoughts are with everyone who lost something - be it a home, a business or a favorite nightlife spot - in this tragedy. Alcoholmanac will be doing something special for the businesses that rebuild or relocate. This is a promise, and I expect to be held to it.

When I first started this blog I decided I would try to review only beers that I have either never had before or beers that are uncommon enough that there would be a decent chance my average reader has never had it before.

That being said, I just reviewed Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout.

Let me explain. First off, I was at O'Sullivan's Irish Pub on 124th and North Ave, and the beer selection was very ... Irish. Secondly, believe it or not, I kept true to my plan - I had never had the 250 Anniversary Stout. I know, I know, I call myself Irish? Well, I've had it now, so can I get my card back?

Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout
St. James Gate Brewery

I knew this beer was unlike your typical Guinness before I even poured the bottle - there was no widget in the bottle, which is meant to replicate the draught pour of a typical nitrogen tap beer. Instead, this poured dark black (really it's a deep red, but unless put up to the light, it looks just plain black) with a comparably thin, light tan head. This head lasted the whole pint, however. The aroma was of heavy malt with hints of coffee. The taste was rich and malty and fuller than the Guinness we all know. Syrupy roasted flavors dominated and I detected a hint of fruit ... grape came to mind (although this might have been due to some strange combination of the beer and the Burt's Bees lip balm I had put on about 10 minutes beforehand - hey, I'm not perfect). The mouthfeel was where this beer really set itself apart from Guinness's typical stout. The 250 had a thick, syrupy mouthfeel that felt almost sticky. It was robust and very welcome. It also added to the incredibly long aftertaste of roasted barley. Guinness stepped it up a few notches here and really outdid themselves. I'd be in favor of them changing the whole Guinness line to this beer. Guinness 250 is very limited in its supply, so if you can find it, order it before it's gone!

When I first started this blog I decided I would try to review only beers that I have either never had before or beers that are uncommon enough that there would be a decent chance my average reader has never had it before.

That being said, I just reviewed Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout.

Let me explain. First off, I was at O'Sullivan's Irish Pub on 124th and North Ave, and the beer selection was very ... Irish. Secondly, believe it or not, I kept true to my plan - I had never had the 250 Anniversary Stout. I know, I know, I call myself Irish? Well, I've had it now, so can I get my card back?

Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout
St. James Gate Brewery

I knew this beer was unlike your typical Guinness before I even poured the bottle - there was no widget in the bottle, which is meant to replicate the draught pour of a typical nitrogen tap beer. Instead, this poured dark black (really it's a deep red, but unless put up to the light, it looks just plain black) with a comparably thin, light tan head. This head lasted the whole pint, however. The aroma was of heavy malt with hints of coffee. The taste was rich and malty and fuller than the Guinness we all know. Syrupy roasted flavors dominated and I detected a hint of fruit ... grape came to mind (although this might have been due to some strange combination of the beer and the Burt's Bees lip balm I had put on about 10 minutes beforehand - hey, I'm not perfect). The mouthfeel was where this beer really set itself apart from Guinness's typical stout. The 250 had a thick, syrupy mouthfeel that felt almost sticky. It was robust and very welcome. It also added to the incredibly long aftertaste of roasted barley. Guinness stepped it up a few notches here and really outdid themselves. I'd be in favor of them changing the whole Guinness line to this beer. Guinness 250 is very limited in its supply, so if you can find it, order it before it's gone!

The weekends are the hardest. That's the conclusion I've come up with. You'd think the weekends would be the easiest time to drink a few beers and write about them, but I've found that to be not the case. Oh, sure, I'll drink beer over the weekend, but I get lazy and don't write about them. So here's my new plan for the weekends (because I'm falling further behind my quota and need to catch up if I'm to have any chance for attaining 365 beer reviews this year).

On the weekends, I'm going to drink anywhere between 2 and 4 beers, at least until I catch up, or maybe even get ahead of the game a bit. I'll take my tasting notes, then on Monday of the next week I'll post all the beers I tasted over the weekend. Because of this, I will not be posting on the weekends. Unless this doesn't work. Then I'll go back to the every day idea to help form the habit.

So, this weekend (Saturday to be precise), I dropped in at the Bomb Shelter on south 2nd Street. This place is going to be a regular stop in this blog because they carry a HUGE assortment of beers, and they are constantly updating their beer list. I could easily do all 365 beers there, I'd bet.

While I was there, the owner, Greg, suggested I try two very different beers: John Henry 3 Lick Spiker Ale, by Cold Spring Brewing Co., and Cerise, a cherry fermented beer by Founder's Brewery.

John Henry 3 Lick Spiker Ale
Cold Spring Brewing Co.

This beer poured black as night with a thin, cream colored head that diminished quickly. The aroma was of heavy malt and oak mostly, but the distinct aroma of alcohol was also present. The taste was oaky first, with dark roast coffee tones coming in a close second. the mouthfeel was syrupy with an oily finish. The malty sweetness was balanced by the slightly bitter coffee and oak notes rather than the hops, making this beer enjoyable sip after tasty sip. In fact, this beer just got better the more I drank it and I found myself sad when it was gone.

Cerise Cherry Fermented Ale
Founder's Brewing Co.

This beer poured orange/red with a very thin white head that was gone before I knew it. This beer was VERY unfiltered, and you could see bits of cherry floating around in the beer! The aroma was of tart cherry, so when I tasted it, I expected it to be tart and sour like a lambic. Boy was I surprised! The taste was crisp and light, not overwhelming or overly sour. The dominant flavor was cherry, but it still had some other ale qualities to it too. It was very refreshing and would appeal to almost anyone - whether you think you like fruit beers or not!

Whew, this has been a busy week. It seems there is something to do every night and no end in sight! Last night I headed out to Molly Cool's Seafood Tavern for the Newuakee young professional networking meeting with my wife for some networking, dinner and, of course, some beer for this blog. I had ordered the Jambalaya and knew Molly Cool's would do it right, so I wanted a beer with some hops to help balance out the spiciness of my food. Of course, if I'd have know that Newaukee was going to have FREE appetizers I probably would have waited for that rather than ordering an entree, but that's another matter.

The bartender had an admirable knowledge of the beers on tap (he apparently also works at Blatz Liquor) and steered me toward the Sawtooth Ale by Left Hand Brewing Co. Of course, beers were 2 for 1, so I also ordered Left Hand's Milk Stout for "dessert."

Sawtooth Ale
Left Hand Brewing Co.

The beer, poured on tap, had a clear caramel color with a thin, oily head that diminished rapidly. It had a malt sweetness in the aroma with just a hint of citrus and hops. The taste was all malt on the front end, rounding to a nice hops spice and slight bitterness that cut the sweet perfectly. Balance is the right word here. Not too sweet, not too bitter, but just right. The hops left a slightly spicy, drier mouthfeel with a lingering, slightly bitter aftertaste that left me craving more. All around, this was a great beer and one I'll revisit again.

Milk Stout
Left Hand Brewing Co.

I ordered this beer off the tap which, where I was, happened to be a nitrogen tap. It poured a deep mahogany with a thick, foamy, off-white head that lasted and lasted. The aroma had a heavy roasted malt character with creamed coffee tones dominating. The taste was creamy and milky, just as the name suggested, with light coffee tones, a hint of chocolate and some slight berry flavor. The aftertaste was sweet and creamy. The creaminess of this stout helped mute some of the roasted flavors that can sometimes be a bit much. The beer went down easy and was perfect as an after dinner beer.

Last night I stopped in to Bootleggers to visit our cartoonist friend Charlie, who was offering his famous "Drunken Caricatures" or "Beer Goggle Caricatures." While I was there I figured it would be a good opportunity to review a beer, so I ordered a $1 burger (Wednesday night special) and a Goose Island 312 and took some notes. Here's what I came up with ... for the beer, not the burger.

312
Goose Island Brewery

I ordered this beer off the tapper and it poured a clear yellow-gold with a tight, pure white head that left spider-web lacing on the glass. The aroma was faint at best, but what I did get was a slight bready character. The taste was clean and crisp with a slight hops finish with a hint of lemon zest that left a sweet, slightly tart impression. This is a beer with mass appeal but it is also crafty enough to command respect. I put it akin to a Miller or Bud, but with taste and character. This beer is refreshing and goes down easy. It is the kind of beer one could drink a lot of, often, and not get sick of. This would make an excellent choice for a beer when entertaining guests whose beer preference is unknown but you want to pass on the mass produced beers. On a personal note, I prefer a beer that is a bit more heavy handed with its malt and hops characters, but I did enjoy this beer.