August 2011 Archives

Tomorrow night I will be hitting the books for another semester. So I thought tonight would be a good time to celebrate the end of my summer with a great barrel aged brew. I have a fridge full of stouts from Dark Lord to The Abyss. But they all come is massive bottles and it would seem to be a gratuitous expression of selfishness not to share them. But I did have one, Arcadia's Shipwreck Porter, in a 12oz bottle. Fifty IBU's and 12%, this seemed like it might be a worthwhile brew for the occasion. I have been very skeptical of Arcadia since the mid 2000's when much of their ale was questionable at best.

It pours with a minimum lacy head and casts a dark shadow revealing a beer bottle glass body. Its aroma is a rich sweetness that is almost overpowering with an ever so slight smokiness. The body is light and rich, but not overpowering like the aroma, it's very balanced. This is great - Bourbon, oak, and malty sweetness make this an excellent ale. Not as over the top as KBS or Bourbon County Stout, this balanced ale really holds it's own in the world of barrel aged brews. I am impressed that no tannins come through, it's a very smooth ale with no off flavors. It puts Battle Creek back on the map for this beer hunter.

Great Lakes - Lake Erie Monster was new to me when I popped into Sicilianos last month. They recommended it as a new arrival. While I was in the back getting homebrew supplies there it was, a keg of Lake Erie Monster. I joked that if I was rich, I would pick it up for my BBQ. Katie made me an offer I could not refuse, and here it is, my very own keg. It has a nice hop bouquet and flavor, it's a bit sweeter than a typical IPA, as one would expect with a double IPA. It does sneak up on you, that's for sure. I am very pleased with it, and have no regrets about getting a keg of it. Its aroma is somewhere between tomato juice and mango. Aside from the tropical fruit - it has a certain definitive bitterness, very good.