Monthly Archives: February 2013

Vintage Derby Girl ESB

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Vintage Derby Girl ESB

Vintage Derby Girl ESB: Highly drinkable, yet unremarkable. (Note: this art is obviously not my own doing. Credit goes to the Vintage – go visit their website and drink their beer!)

Still out of beer. Since the show must go on, this unfortunate circumstance served as a convenient excuse for a mid-week excursion to Vintage Brewing Co. Fortuitously, Wednesday night brings a weekly live blues jam to the Vintage, so today’s tasting was accompanied by some fine musical stylings from Madison Blues Co-op.

I typically avoid venturing outside the cozy confines of my downtown Madison enclave, but the Vintage provided worthy cause to journey beyond my familiar boundaries. Though it only emerged from the ashes of JT Whitney’s brewpub a few years ago, the Vintage has already established a reputation for excellence in both food and beverage, and for dedication to beer stewardship through its regular beer dinners and beer appreciation events.

Based on a few visits over the past couple of years, I’d say this reputation is well-deserved. A wide range of house-brewed beers is always available, and, save the Juniper-laden Finnish sahti (which is quite possibly one of the worst substances I’ve ever ingested), each one I’ve tried has been quite agreeable. For those who insist that one’s nutritional needs cannot be met through beer alone, the food is pretty impressive as well (thanks to the talents of chef AJ Hurst, who happens to be a high school classmate of mine).

Enough idle banter; on to the beer. From a selection of about 12 taps covering a wide range of styles, I went with Derby Girl ESB, an English pub-style strong bitter named for the roller derby ladies who frequent the Vintage. Though not particularly exciting either way, Derby Girl is a well-crafted ESB that captures the essential characteristics of the style quite expertly. Malty and low on carbonation, Derby Girl is nicely accented by faint fruity notes and balanced by hop bitterness on the finish. Overall, Derby Girl is highly drinkable, but fairly unremarkable. The facts:

Vintage Brewing Co. Derby Girl ESB

Style: Extra Special Bitter
Availability: Year-round
ABV: 6.5%
Hops: East Kent Goldings
Notes: Malty and very lightly carbonated; accented by fruity notes and balanced by mild hop bitterness
More Info: http://vintagebrewingcompany.com/brews.php
My Take: Highly drinkable, but generally unremarkable.

Lake Louie Radio Free IBA

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Lake Louie Radio Free IBA: I biffed the photo. Here's a tap handle instead.

Lake Louie Radio Free IBA: I biffed the photo. Here’s a tap handle instead.

Tragedy has struck: I am out of beer. As a grad student with 3ish jobs, things get a little chaotic at times. Some weeks, tasks such as grocery shopping and sleeping must be deferred in favor of scholarly or professional pursuits. Or in favor of drinking beer. This has been one such week.

Not only am I limited to a diet of raw carrots, oatmeal and peanut butter sandwiches, I am also now relegated to commercial drinking establishments for my daily tasting responsibilities. It’s a major hardship.

Today, I joined several of the usual suspects at the usual pub for an evening quaff. Much to my disappointment (or, perhaps, to my credit), I had previous experience with all of the tap offerings and was confined to bottles. Fortunately, the bottle assortment was robust, and from it emerged today’s selection, Lake Louie Radio Free India Black Ale.

Lake Louie Brewing, of Arena, WI, has long been a favorite of mine. Tommy’s Porter, Coon Rock Cream Ale and Warped Speed Scotch Ale are standard go-to’s, and seasonal offerings rarely disappoint. No exception to this precedence, Radio Free IBA was quite tasty. This heavy black ale was a bit thicker and sweeter than I expected, but was nicely balanced by bitter notes. Slightly more carbonation and stronger hop presence would enhance the Radio Free experience, in my opinion, but it’s more than adequate as is. The facts:

Lake Louie Radio Free IBA

Style: India Black Ale
Availability: Seasonal (July release)
ABV: 8ish%
Hops: Pacific Northwest
Notes: Heavier and sweeter than many other IBA’s, but nicely balanced. Could benefit from additional carbonation and hop presence.
More Info: http://www.lakelouie.com/beer-styles
My Take: Not quite as I expected, but still pretty tasty.

Side Note: Did you know that, after a long hiatus, Lake Louie once offers tours? I haven’t ventured out yet, but I plan to soon! http://www.lakelouie.com/tours/

Founders Porter

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founders-porter

Founders Porter: This photo is abominable, but the beer is amazing.

Dark, rich, and sexy. Don’t get your knickers in a twist; we’re still talking about beer, here (although, you’d be correct in assuming that I’m often described similarly, except that the adjectives involved are more typically “pasty, cheap, and awkward”). That’s the tag line on the label of today’s selection, a Porter from the fine folks at Founders, which, as it turns out, is a pretty apt synopsis.

I enjoyed Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale so much that I couldn’t resist an opportunity to check out another another offering from this venerable Grand Rapids, MI brewery. As I alluded to in the Dirty Bastard post, Founders specializes in the brewing of relatively “big” beers – heady potions with high alcohol content, substantial body, and robust flavors – so I was fairly confident that this Porter would not disappoint.

Far from disappointing, Founders Porter might be made of magic. On the pour, heavy aromas of chocolate and coffee emanate from this alluringly dark, dense liquid. Rich roasted chocolate flavors, combined with a soft, velvety texture, and a hint of bitnerness at the finish result in a luxurious elixir that might best be described as voluptuous. In fact, just drinking it feels a little scandalous. Dark, rich and sexy, indeed.

Founders Porter

Style: Porter
Availability: Year-round
ABV: 6.5%
Hops: Not Specified
Notes: Strong chocolate aroma; bold roasted chocolate flavor; amazing velvety mouthfeel
More Info: http://foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/porter/
My Take: Pasty, cheap, and awkward agrees that this is dark, rich, and sexy.