IowaDG.com

[porkchop]

 
It seems like the Seasonal beers are coming out earlier and earlier every year ...... waaaaaaaay before the season is even in view. With that said I have become very tired of the same beers (mostly IPA's) all the time; so I tried both the Sierra Nevada Glissade and the Sam Adams Noble Pils, both are spring offerings.

I picked up a sixer of Sierra Nevada Glissade this weekend and I have enjoyed it. I have only had a couple Maibocks/Helles so I have no clue on what a good example of a Miabock/Helles is. Glissade is a very smooth and mellow bock that I could drink in mass quantity on a warm spring or summer day. It’s very light and refreshing, a nice bready start with a bit of grassiness; it finishes with slight hoppiness/bitterness, but nothing overwhelming or over the top. It also has subtle alcohol warmth to it as it goes down. Overall a really enjoyable and well balanced beer.

I had the Sam Adams Noble Pils on tap at Applebee’s this weekend; when I ordered it the bartender didn’t recommend it and said if I didn't like it I could get something different. We I liked it. Again I couldn’t tell you a good pils if it hit me in the face, but BA says a German Pils should be "very light straw to golden in color, well-hopped, brewed using Noble hops that which exhibit a spicy herbal or floral aroma and flavor, often times a bit coarse on the palate, and distribute a flash of citrus-like zest--hop bitterness can be high." According to this it fit the bill. It was very clean and crisp up front, almost like a standard American larger, but much more refined (the crisp clean taste they advertise but don’t deliver), then it finishes with an almost unexpected bitterness. The bitter hop finish is unlike any I have really had before other than in a few English pale ales, the Noble Hops really give you a unique experience. I can see why commercial beer drinkers, like this bartender, don’t like this. It starts off with a flavor they are used to, but then rips at their taste buds with a nice bitterness, a bitterness that would be over whelming to a non-BA. Overall drinkability is great while also confusing your taste buds a bit, highly recommend for a change of pace.

It seems like most of today’s American craft beers are driven towards high alcohol and extreme doses of hops and malts. Both of these beers are a nice change of pace that go to classic styles that have been ignored lately. I really enjoyed both of them in two totally different ways.

I have always though Walsh was a bit off for preferring the classic styles rather than the IPA's and Imperials, but now I may think I may have been the crazy one for not giving these other styles a shot to wow me.
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[porkchop]

[grodney]

Porkchop, you're a wise one in my eyes. That's how I see New Belgium. Nothing bad, but nothing great. Baby steps for beer drinkers.

Also, your take on the Glissade and the Pils is refreshing. Shiner made their anniversary "Shiner 99" a couple years ago, which was a Helles. I always said I thought it was *exactly* what a Helles should be. Complex in flavor, yet totally refreshing on a summer day, and easy to drink. Glissade is similar, but a little more flavor actually. That Sam Pils I haven't had commercially yet, but I'm sure I probably wrote about the tasting I had last year when they (Sam) were trying to decide whether to go with the Pils or the IPA as their next solo 6er. I thought it was good. I appreciate a good Pilsner, but certainly yeah, they often (always?) take a back seat to the more extreme stuff these days.

[Lou Siffer]

[porkchop]

[Lou Siffer]

Yeah, I guess compared to the big three, they're a micro. Wonder where you'd draw the line.
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[porkchop]

Well the technical line for a Micro Brewery is 15,000 Barrels. So really, only the really small local breweries, like Millstream, fit the label. Today's world prefers the term "Craft Brewery". As defined by the Brewers Association "An American craft brewer is small (less than 2 million barrels), independent (less than 25% owned or controlled by a beverage industry member who is not a craft brewer) and traditional (has at least 50% of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor)."

Sam Adams' produces about 1.35 million barrels, where Sierra Nevada produces about .68 million barrels. Even if Sam Adam's were to go above 2 million barrels I would still consider them a Craft Brewery seeing how they are always "crafting" and experimenting with new beers.




Link to Map of Top 50 Craft Brewers - Too Large To Post (didn't want to make you scroll left and right)
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[irban]

[porkchop]

[10up]

Corey, I still have those. Nobody called me.

I'm stuck in DSM for the night. Chuck this Iowa weather.
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Drew Brees!

[irban]

[AO]

http://gazetteonline.com/blogs/covering-iowa-politics/2010/02/10/bills-pumping-up-breweries-distilleries-advance
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[gretagun]

^^ Thanks for the post!

For anyone who has been following SF2091, it has also been ammended to change the definition of beer and would allow distrubtors to take over the wholsale of higher alcohol beers, which is what all of us beer dorks have been hoping for.

This has passed out of committe which is a good thing, but Representative Mark Smith wants to strike the provisions in the ammendment regarding high alcohol beer. Please see the following from IowaBeer.org:


Feb 11th, 2010 IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE ALERT – IMMEDIATE RESPONSE REQUESTED!Author: admin | Filed under: Beer News
Iowa Beer Equality Bill Supporters:

Representative Mark Smith (D-District #43) has offered an amendment H 8084 to SF 2088 that would end up striking the provisions for high alcohol beer. It will be debated this afternoon – 5:30 p.m. in the House.
You need to call or e-mail your House member and ask them to oppose the Smith Amendment — this is a free/open vote in the Democratic Caucus which means they will not be persuaded how to vote.
Representative Smith is concerned about increased consumption and substance abuse.

Calls or emails should be made to ALL House members! House switchboard – 515.281.3221 or find e-mail addresses at http://www3.legis.state.ia.us/ga/legislators.do?ch=h&ga=83.
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[Rural Elements]

This bill will is going to be tricky. People will have to concede certain things to get what they want, government reorganization. This is the government reorgaization bill that everyone has been talking about.
Hopefully, the Smith amendment will fail. My quess is that to get the bill passed, this amendment, which is an amendment to an amendment H8084 to amend H8045, has been offered up to appease those members who come from districts that still appreciate the blue laws..... and to get them to vote in favor of the overall passage. I hope that I am wrong. Call your represenatives and ask them to vote no.
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Where do we take it from here.

[grodney]

This guy is a democrat? What? Does he not know that when it comes to gambling and beer, the R's are the oppressive ones? Traitor!