Monthly Archives: January 2013

O’so 3rd Wheel Belgian Blonde

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O'so 3rd Wheel: A poor substitute for sunshine and warmth

O’so 3rd Wheel: A poor substitute for sunshine and warmth

After three consecutive days in long underwear, I find myself constantly fantasizing about summer. Bike rides, evenings on the Terrace, minimal threat of frostbite… On my walk to work this morning, sunny, warm hallucinations were the only thing keeping me from taking a purposefully sharp left into the frigid depths of Lake Mendota.

Since my faith that warmth will eventually return to the barren tundra grows weaker with each passing day, I thought it appropriate to attempt restoring my confidence by cracking open a vestige of summer. O’so Brewing Company’s most recent warm-weather release, 3rd Wheel Belgian Blonde, seemed a perfect candidate.

Plover-based O’so made a strong entry into the WI beer scene during 2008 with a solid set of year-round offerings, and has put out some tasty seasonals and special releases (mmm…Picnic Ants). 3rd Wheel, unfortunately, was not quite as impressive as its predecessors. Thoroughly dominated by citrus flavors, 3rd Wheel lacks the yeasty complexity normally expected of a Belgian. Combined with abundant carbonation, 3rd Wheel winds up tasting more like a beer-flavored soda than a true Belgian. Though disappointing to say the least, drinking 3rd Wheel is still better than going outside. The facts:

O’so Brewing Co. 3rd Wheel Belgian Blonde
Style: Belgian Blonde
Availability: Summer Seasonal
ABV: 5.5%
Hops: Not specified
Notes: Dominated by strong citrus flavors; slight peppery notes. Very fizzy.
More Info: http://www.osobrewing.com/ourbeer.php
My Take: Blech. Tastes like fruity beer-flavored soda. Made me wish I was drinking Oberon instead.

 

Pangaea Lilja’s Sasquatch Stout

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Pangaea Lilja's Sasquatch Stout: brewed with real Sasquatch musk

Pangaea Lilja’s Sasquatch Stout: brewed with real Sasquatch musk

January in Wisconsin is an exercise in fortitude. With wind chills lingering well below zero all day, rolling myself into a fleece cocoon and barricading the door would have been a reasonable choice. Instead, I donned a full suit of long underwear and managed a 2-hour urban trek around my fair city before losing feeling in my upper extremities and cursing my ancestors for their dubious immigration choices. This calls for a beer.

Today’s selection, Lilja’s Sasquatch Stout, comes from Pangaea Beer Company, a somewhat ambiguous entity that exists more in the conceptual than the concrete. Pangaea is technically located in Neshkoro, WI, but its beers are all contract-brewed by Sand Creek Brewery of Black River Falls, WI. Further details on Pangaea Beer Company are approximately as elusive as Sasquatch himself, so I’ll skip to the beer.

Since Sand Creek produces some mighty fine stouts of its own, I had high hopes for this one. Lilja’s Sasquatch, however, turned out to be fairly unremarkable. It certainly wasn’t bad, but I would only choose it again in the absence of any other reasonable options. A dry, intensely dark stout, Sasquatch had a peculiar aroma dominated by alcohol and something…else. Leather, maybe? Or bits of real Sasquatch? Not at all sweet, Sasquatch was bitter up front and left a not entirely pleasant sour aftertaste. To summarize:

Pangaea Beer Co. Lilja’s Sasquatch Stout
Style: American Stout
Availability: Year-round
ABV: 7.0%
Hops: Simian, Tradition, Millennium
Notes: Intensely dark. Bitter, with a sour aftertaste. Smells like Sasquatch musk.
More Info: http://pangaeabeers.com/Sasquatch_Stout.html
My Take: Meh. Not offensive, but worthwhile only if nothing better is available.

Side Note: It’s Madison Restaurant Week – one of 2 weeks during the year that fancy-pants dining establishments (whose typical meals cost more than I make in a day) fling open their doors to the riff-raff by offering fixed price menus hovering around $30 for dinner or $15 for lunch. 

Lots of good eats to be had, if you don’t mind dining with the feeling that staff can’t wait to bust out the Lysol when you leave. Restaurant week runs Jan 20-25; check out the menus here: http://www.madisonmagazine.com/Madison-Magazine/Events/Restaurant-Week/Menus/ .

Southern Tier 2XIPA + Gail Ambrosius Truffles

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Southern Tier 2XIPA and Gail Ambrosius sea salt caramel will rock your socks off.

Southern Tier 2XIPA and Gail Ambrosius sea salt caramel will rock your socks off.

It’s happening. I’m turning 30. In just one short month, I’ll pack up the hazy memories of a tumultuous decade and set off toward the enlightened and refined existence that surely lies ahead. I will, of course, commemorate this momentous transition with beer. 30 beers, to be exact.

During the 30 remaining days until my 30th birthday, I’ll try one new beer each day and document it here on Brew du Jour. I’ll make note of my progress on the enlightenment and refinement front as well, although I predict slow going.

Gail Ambrosius Beerific Taster's Box LogoI’m kicking things off in style with a fabulous Southern Tier Double IPA. But I’m not stopping there. The inaugural day of the project calls for a little extra flair, so I’m turning to Madison’s patron saint of chocolate, Gail Ambrosius. Your see, over the holidays, the roommate (henceforth known as “brewmate”) and I picked up a Beerific Taster’s Box from Gail’s shop and have become thoroughly smitten with it. The box contains 7 spectacular truffles, along with a list of suggested beer pairings. Chocolate and beer?! Yes…oh yes. The combination is brilliant. If you’ve not experienced this particular form of culinary ecstasy, you should consider your life incomplete until you do.

Back to the matter at hand. Southern Tier Brewing Company has been serving the good folks of southwestern New York state for about 10 years, and its wares have been available nationally since 2009. I had never tried a Southern Tier brew before, but I’ve long heard good reviews. 2XIPA handily supports Southern Tier’s good reputation. Available as part of the year-round standard line up, 2XIPA is a malty, slightly citrusy Double IPA that packs a wallop at 8.2% ABV. The facts:

Southern Tier 2XIPA
Style: Double India Pale Ale
Availability: Year-round
ABV: 8.2%
Hops: Not Specified (although the label notes “4 types”)
Notes: Malty, citrusy, sweet but not syrupy. Not particularly hoppy. Lingering notes of grapefruity bitterness.
More Info: http://www.stbcbeer.com/works-2-cols/2xipa-beer-page/
My Take: Delicious. Highly-recommended.
Chocolate-covered crown-mangler

Chocolate-covered crown-mangler

As for the chocolate…2XIPA proved an ideal partner for a chocolate-encased Caramel Sprinkled With Grey Salt.  Normally, I find caramel objectionably sweet (and a reckless threat to large investments in dental work recently), but the bitterness of the IPA balances the sweetness of the caramel perfectly, producing a remarkable flavor combination.